Fats and oils are esters of trivalent alcohol glycerol and three fatty acids, they can also contain small amounts of non-glyceride compounds such as phospholipids, carotenoids, liposoluble vitamins, sterols, pigments, waxes, metal traces and other compounds.
Oilseeds are plants whose fruits, seeds and other plant organs are holders of large quantities of fat.
Oil from oilseeds is isolated using two basics mathods: pressing and solvent extraction.
Pressed crude vegetable oil undergoes the refining process which consists of several stages: degumming, neutralization, decolourization, winterization, deodorization, cooling and clarification.
By degumming mucous substances, primarily phospholipids, proteins, lipoproteins, and other compounds, are removed from crude oil. The process is carried out in several ways: by acid treatment, by acid alkaline treatment, enzymatic treatment, EDTA treatment and ultrafiltration.
By hidratation process we get from some vegetable oils lecithin, which is used as a natural emulsifier in the production of margarine, chocolate and pasta.